


Raven's Rose

by AuroraNin



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Action, Adventure, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-03 17:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13345716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraNin/pseuds/AuroraNin
Summary: Rose Cousland has to grow up quickly, but how do you handle this amount of change in such a short period of time?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just some head cannon from Dragon Age Origins.

Prologue   
1

ROSE.

Eleanor Cousland kept finding herself in their smallest garden. The baby growing in her belly was going to be a fighter, if those kicks where any indication. For some reason, though, this garden was the only place the baby seemed to calm. Eleanor embraced these quiet moments, the only time she was able to get some sleep.

Walking along the garden, she caressed the leaves of the lush plants around her. This time, something was different. There was a tingling in the air. The feeling one gets right before a lightning storm.

This time, there'd be no rest here.

A flutter of wings drew her attention to a shaded corner. Her eyes met the golden eyes of a large raven. A moment passed as they looked at each other, silent. Then the raven flapped its wings, as if beckoning her closer.

The raven's expression was somehow warm, even comforting. There was emotion in its eyes. An intelligence that saw into her very soul.

She stepped closer. The raven hopped down to a lower branch, then onto the ground right next to a white rose bud. The flower wasn't large or blooming, and its leaves had been partly eaten by caterpillars.

Something about it, however, seemed special.

Eleanor slowly lowered herself onto the grass, where she sat. She reached for the rose bud. Before her fingertips could brush the petals, the raven darted over, plucked it up in its beak and fluttered away. Eleanor remained mesmerized, watching the bird fly off.

Not much later, she heard footfalls behind her and turned. Her husband, Bryce Cousland, stood there. Chuckling, he extended his hand.

"Don't you say it, my love," Eleanor huffed, taking his hand. "I was not stuck. I was comfortable."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure that's exactly how it is." With a deep breath, he hoisted her to her feet. "May I ask what enthralled you so, my beautiful wife, about that nice dead bush?"

"I was thinking about names for our little one."

Eleanor trembled, and Bryce wrapped his arms around her. "Oh? What names did this kindling inspire in you?"

"Rose. Her name is Rose."


	2. Princess Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bryce doesn't know what to do with his ragamuffins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be one more prologue-y chapter and then we'll get to the juicy bits.

Prologue  
2

A PRINCESS KNIGHT

If not for Rose's vibrant crimson hair, Bryce Cousland would never be able to tell her apart from his oldest son, Fergus, despite the difference in age and height. That they were now covered head-to-toe in mud made distinction that much more difficult.

He crossed his arms. "Tell me why I should not have you two help Nan in the kitchens?"

"But Father," Fergus started quickly, "it wasn't our fault!"

Rose threw up her arms, flinging mud onto the nearby guard who didn't flinch. "Rory was being teased by --"

"And you know how Rose gets..."

"It wasn't just me! You got mad too!"

"And then they called Rose a --"

"And Fergus punched him!"

"And then Rory pushed him --"

"And I kicked!"

"And there was mud EVERYWHERE!"

"Then when they ran away --"

"We were cold --"

"And hungry!"

"So we went to the kitchen..."

"And there was a jar of cookies --"

"And I grabbed them!"

"No, I grabbed them!"

"No, it was my idea."

"Honest, Father," Fergus said, stepping forward with the air of a valiant knight. "It was my idea to grab the cookies."

"Stop, stop." Bryce held up a palm. "You're telling me you both had the idea to steal the cookies and track mud into the kitchen? Not to mention beating up some boys, to whom I will have you both go and apologize to as soon as you've washed up?"

Both children slumped their shoulders. "Yes, father," they muttered in tandem.

"Seems I have no choice." Bryce let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Rose, you will go and help Nan clean up the mud in the kitchen. Fergus, for the next week you'll be confined to your studies."

"Yes father." Fergus looked down, accepting his punishment with grace...for a fourteen-year old, at least.

"But Papa!" Rose said. "Fergus isn't to blame!"

"That may be true, Rose, but as the heir, Fergus must learn that his actions, justified or not, always have consequences. Sometimes good, sometimes bad."

"But why is he being punished for my actions? I don't understand, Papa."

"My dearest Rose, you must learn that what you do can hurt those around you. You are a princess, and need to start behaving as one."

Fergus put his hand on his little sister's shoulder.

"She's not a princess," Fergus said, "She's a knight!" at the same time Rose herself insisted, "I'm not a princess, I'm a knight!"

Bryce Cousland understood right then the daunting scope of finding a match for his daughter.


End file.
